Do you like traditional JRPGs? Square Enix joins the premiere of Nintendo Switch with a beautiful role-playing adventure that pays tribute to great classics of the genre such as the memorable Chrono Trigger. In this analysis of I Am Setsuna we extol all the virtues of this video game that, however, does not reach the expected level of quality in aspects such as the plot or its fighting system.
Resorting to nostalgia is a double-edged sword. It’s great, and very tempting, because it allows you to relive experiences that many had already given up for lost; but at the same time it is also dangerous, in the sense that you compete against memories and emotions that are difficult to match. More when the mirror in which you look at responds to the name of Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI , to name just some of the great classics of the Japanese role in which I Am Setsuna is inspired , a good JRPG adventure that yes, as we already highlighted At the time, when it was released on PC and PS4, it manages to bring back the sensations of that time, but it stays practically there, in a beautiful tribute with few moments of brilliance.
You can tell that there is passion, that the Tokyo RPG Factory team loves and has grown up with all those video games that made Squaresoft great in the 90s, but in the end, when you conclude the trip that I Am Setsuna proposes, you feel that this Adventure is more of an imitation than a tribute; copy, sometimes without contemplation, moments, game situations, characters and even stories without the grace and genius of those works of yesteryear. And obviously this has consequences. Any news on your move to Nintendo Switch ? There is … but it is not yet available, as we will have to wait until April to enjoy a multiplayer aspect that offers us to fight against other people in a series of combat arenas.
Launch Trailer
A trip that knows littleAlthough the initial sensations are good, it is impossible not to get excited at the prospects of enjoying a JRPG as before, little by little the balloon is deflating mainly due to an argument that is not up to par. History promises. Although it is similar to that of Final Fantasy X in its initial premise, that is, accompany a young woman to distant lands to become a human sacrifice that saves the world, there is something in I Am Setsuna that pushes you to move on, to explore those frozen lands where the action takes place. It will be nostalgia because beyond that … the sad reality is that this adventure brings little.
Completing the adventure is not the end. New challenges, more enemies, and better weapons and abilities await those who decide to continue the journey.
Leaving aside its lack of originality , there will be those who do not mind, the truth is that nothing that this JRPG tells excites or captivates with the force of those classics in which it is inspired. It offers moments to remember, game situations that somehow make you smile like in the old days, but they are few and of course, they are already widely seen. There are also ups and downs in the narrative. History points to ways but it never really takes off; Rather, it looks like a roller coaster with comings and goings that converge in a clumsy, simple-minded outcome that leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth. There are also few alternative stories to enjoy: the video game focuses on the main plot and almost does not move from there, not even to delve into the lives of heroes who gave much more.
The melancholic air that the game gives off helps to get caught up in its proposalThis leads us to talk in this analysis of the linearity of I Am Setsuna. There is little scope for exploration and far fewer alternatives to getting lost in its cold but beautiful fantasy world. It is not something that bothers us, sometimes it is even appreciated, but in this particular case something else is missing; a better story to keep you going, and most of all, a better dungeon design . They are extremely simple, many of them too similar to each other, and to make matters worse they do not pose a particularly difficult challenge. You advance, fight enemies, and keep going. There is little variety in the game situations that it poses, few challenges beyond fighting monsters that do not pose a challenge either. Unlike. It’s too easy a video game, which clashes with the claims of creating an old-fashioned JRPG.
Not even the bosses have posed a challenge that lived up to expectations. They all died the first time, and this is blamed by an unbalanced combat system , in which some attacks can exterminate entire hordes of enemies in a single movement. Bad business. And that the base on which the action of I Am Setsuna is based is quite good. Inspired by the mythical Active Time Battle systemby Chrono Trigger, that is, you attack once an energy bar has been charged, we find some fun battles that offer more than enough options to try different strategies against the most powerful enemies. We have magic, amulets, special abilities unique to each character … we can even combine the power of two heroes to execute a powerful attack. And here we come across its main scourge. It is an inordinate power.
In the final section of the adventure, we can use the flying ship to explore the game world more quickly. Another nod to the classics of the genre.
We pointed it out lines back. There are some attack combinations capable of leaving even the bosses trembling, making progress in the adventure much easier. There is almost no challenge, just hit a couple of times with precision and that’s it, problem overcome; goodbye to monsters. And it’s not fun. Yes, at first you will enjoy the nostalgic touch of the battles, which are also dynamic due to their rhythm of action and the inclusion of the so-called Momentum , which is a game mechanism that basically proposes us to press a button at the right moment to maximize the hit damage, break enemy defense, or receive perks such as extra healing. The bases are very good, we already said it, but as with other facets of I Am Setsuna, they have not been fully exploited.
Wanting to be extremely faithful to the classics of yesteryear also has its pears. Unlike other video games that are committed to a similar path, that of recovering the sensations of classics from the nineties, I Am Setsuna does not contribute anything new; had it been born at that time it would surely be a good video game and little else. Now, at least, it stands out for the nostalgic touch that prevails in the work, but once you have overcome that first impression, it is difficult not to be disappointed.
It is missing that the game delves deeper into the personal history of the protagonists; in most cases it is passed over on tiptoe.
It hurts when you also find yourself in front of a video game as beautiful as this one. Its snowy settings, the design of characters, monsters, piano music … the melancholic air that I Am Setsuna gives off at all levels helps to get caught up in its game proposal; Once you start it, you will not stop until the adventure ends after 20 or 25 hours of departure. And it’s great to be able to do it at home or on the go! Thanks to the console’s portable mode. But that’s it. During the journey of Endir, Setsuna and other protagonists the feeling of disappointment, of “this was for something else” will not leave you for an instant. To all this the video game comes, also to Nintendo Switch, in English , so those who do not control the language have another point to take into account here.
“Interesting”
I am Setsuna
6.8
Readers
(2)
It’s easy to get caught up in the many charms of I Am Setsuna, a JRPG that aptly captures the spirit of the great classics of the 1990s. The biggest problem with this role-playing adventure is that it does not go beyond that, from being a tribute, a beautiful imitation that does not add anything new to the genre, nor is it surprising for the quality of its story or the epic of its turn-based battles. It is a good video game that is enjoyed from start to finish, but not the spiritual heir to the mythical Chrono Trigger for which so many clamored.
- Captures well the spirit of the 90s JRPG classics
- A good cast of main characters
- In the artistic and musical it is a very beautiful game
- Low level of difficulty and poor dungeon design
- Somewhat unbalanced combat system. It is very easy to kill enemies
- An unoriginal story full of clichés
